Pretty Eyes was cut during what has become known to her devotees and discographers as
Peggy Lee's second Capitol Records period which ran from 1957-1972. The hiatus between the first and second periods was filled by
Lee's association with Decca. Like many of her albums during this time with Capitol,
Lee was hooked up with orchestras with large, lush string sections conducted by the likes of
Nelson Riddle and even
Frank Sinatra. On this 1960 release, it's
Billy May with the baton in a rather unusual situation for him. There's no brass in the orchestra, just flutes, woodwinds, and strings. The result is that the arrangements are tame compared to charts
May turned out when he had trumpets and trombones to work with. On some tracks, one gets the impression that
Lee was bored with some of the complacent arrangements and shows her indifference by having a bit of fun using overly broad vowel pronunciations on such tunes as "Pretty Eyes." But on the better stuff, such as the swinging "It Could Happen to You," "Too Close for Comfort," and "Fly Me to the Moon" (the latter done as a slow ballad), she holds nothing back. Although her bountiful vocal gifts are occasionally held somewhat in check, there's still enough here to satisfy
Lee and vocal fans alike.